THE COLLECTOR
by LOGEN
Summary: The Titans are so desperate to be rid of Slade they hire an assassin. After Slade is dispatched, the assassin goes on his own rampage and takes Slade's place. Now the Titans have an enemy ten times more powerful than Slade. can they survive?
1. the beginning

CH. 1

The side door in the common room in Titan's Tower opened with a pneumatic hiss, revealing five very exhausted teenagers. The titan's looked very worse for the wear with holes, burned holes, blood trails, and dried blood trails, bruises of many different colors, dents, cuts, scrapes, scratches, and many a manner of other marks that showed proof that their job was anything but easy. Robin plopped on the couch heavily as if his feet had been cut from underneath him. He stared at the overlarge TV/computer monitor/window and sighed. Starfire sat next to him, equally pooped.

"Slade escaped again," she groaned. The others plopped down as well in the same manner.

"We have to get help," Robin said wearily.

"How?" demanded Cyborg moodily, "Slade could go against our entire force and come out smiling. He's the only one who's bested the famous Teen Titans." He finished mockingly. Raven rolled her eyes while Beast Boy remained quiet and staring ahead. He was thinking heavily on the matter.

"I may have an idea," he stated quietly. If music had been playing, the sound of a record stopping suddenly would have sounded through the air. Every titan looked at him in astounded shock.

"Hey!" Beast Boy frowned offended, "The hamster in my head can think _some_times you know."

"Well what's your idea?" Robin asked, making a mental note to put this breakthrough in scientific history on paper for future generations to know that Beast Boy had an idea.

"There is someone I know. He was an acquaintance of my family's. He has what we need to get the job done." Robin raised an eyebrow.

"What job?" he asked suspiciously.

"End Slade's life," Beast Boy said in a hushed voice. The titans were once again silent. Robin was the only one who had tried to kill Slade. Terra was the only one to actually succeed. But through Raven's father, he had become alive once more. Now there was someone to destroy him. Robin hated hiring a hitman, but they weren't getting any closer killing Slade than Beast Boy seeing the Wizard of Oz for a real brain. And if the press got wind of it, they'd be ruined, no longer allowed to protect the city.

"Where does this person live?" Robin asked with a scowl.

Beast Boy took them to an abandoned apartment complex and knocked three times. The door swung open slowly on well oiled hinges. They entered and the door slammed shut behind them. Beast Boy sniffed and walked down the hallway to the room with firelight flickering from inside. They all walked in one at a time until they stopped behind Beast Boy facing the back of a moldy chair that faced a roaring fire.

"Beast Boy," a cold voice sounded, "It's been quite some time. How have you been?" Beast Boy gulped.

"You know very well J.C.," Beast Boy replied bravely. A cold chuckle that sounded very close to Slade's, only worse, echoed throughout the room, sending chills down their spines.

"As always, so forward," J.C. joked. The chair turned, scrapping across the floor on its own accord so that J.C. faced them. His skin was pale as a ghost, hair silver and cut low to his head, and eyes a cold icy sapphire. And a smile portraying even pearly white teeth that spoke of evil; he looked no older than nineteen. His eyes swept over the Titans.

"I'm going to be the courteous host and not read your minds. Why have you come here?" he asked with genuine curiosity.

"Beast Boy says you can kill… and very well," Robin said with a look that said he loathed himself for doing what he was about to do. J.C. inclined his head.

"That I can Robin, that I can," he said with another small smile.

"We need Slade dead," Beast Boy stated bluntly. J.C. was quiet for a long time. Then he replied.

"The Titans hiring a hitman… not a good thing for the public to find out. I will be paid well I hope?" he said with another evil smile, "Strictly business but this is very big. We wouldn't want to press finding out now would we?" The Titans glared at him.

"No," Beast Boy finally said, "We wouldn't." J.C. nodded.

"This won't be cheap," he said resting his elbows on the arm of the chair and touching the tips of his fingers together.

"How much?" Robin asked angrily.

"Raven," he replied.

"I'm sorry," Robin stated, "I think I heard you incorrect-"

"You heard me fine," J.C. said raising his voice, "I want Raven. Or rather, I want her powers."

"Never," Robin snarled. J.C. laughed softly under his breath.

"You misunderstand Robin. One touch of my finger and I replicate her powers and sustain them forever. And since I've lived for millennia, I have quite a collection at my disposal. My psychic powers limit me to mind reading and moving small lightweight objects like a door or a chair from a certain amount of feet away. With Raven's powers I can do so much more," he said finishing on a whisper, "Those are my terms. Take it or leave." The Titans looked to Raven. She glared at J.C. who merely smiled his dark smile at her. After a long period of time J.C.'s smile waned.

"I grow impatient Raven," he said coldly, "You have five more minutes before I throw you all out and believe me, you don't want me to do that." Raven thought about it. This cretin could easily dispatch Slade. All she had to do was share her powers. Something no other being in the universe or any other dimension had, save for her father. She did not want someone having her powers.

"Ten seconds," Growled J.C.

"Fine," Raven seethed. J.C. was all smiles again.

"Thank you Raven," he said as he gleefully stood and grabbed her wrist. She felt a probe deep in her very soul and felt as if it were rent in two. She would have screamed if she had the control to. But J.C. was busy copying and it put her in a sort of trance-like state. He probed deep into her and rent her to pieces. Finally he extracted and Raven fell back into Robin who caught her. She groaned and soon lost consciousness.

"J.C.!" Robin roared angrily. J.C. looked at his hands and smiled.

"She will be fine my friend," he stated quietly while still looking at his hands, "a rest and good nights sleep and she will be right as rain. Thank you for the payment; now to dispatch Slade. If you will excuse me." He disappeared in a puff of smoke. The Titans looked at one another and then left, Raven being carried by Cyborg. The deed of what they did heavy on their minds and conscience. When they arrived at the Tower and Raven was put in her bed, attached to certain wires that would allow Cyborg to monitor her at his leisure, they sat down and turned on the news. There on the headline news was a reporter filming a battle live from a helicopter.

"I've not seen anything like this folks, Slade is battling an unknown hero and appears to be matching him easily," the reporter yelled over the rotors of the chopper. The Titans watched as J.C. and Slade fought it out in the middle of a street. Slade was just getting up from a recent attack when J.C. strutted over to him and kneed him in the face. Slade flew into the solid concrete wall of a building and fell to his knees once again. He stood up and appeared to show no signs of pain or giving up. J.C. laughed loudly.

"Your time is up Slade! My time is now!" J.C. pointed his palm at Slade and a small sphere of yellow energy formed. Slade didn't even flinch as J.C. smiled evilly. Then just as J.C. was about to fire, Slade flipped out his gun and shot his shoulder, causing him to jerk back and fire his beam to the far right. Slade rushed him and tackled him to the ground where he pinned him and started to land punch after punch into J.C.'s face. J.C. kicked up and smashed his knee into the middle of Slade's back and his foot into the back of his head. Slade rolled forward allowing J.C. to do a Chinese get up and then a quick round house kick, sending Slade flying back.

"No more toying around!" J.C. yelled in frustration and flexed his arms, wrists, hands, and fingers, like he was straining to pick up a very heavy load. The ground trembled violently and Slade's and the Titans' eyes widened at the familiar ability.

"What?" Slade yelled in shock as a pair of arms complete with fingers and hands made of earth rose layered with the concrete and tar covered road rose from the ground.

"Impossible!" Slade yelled, his voice layered with fear.

"You're as annoying as an insect. Time to die like one!" J.C. yelled with glee and brought his arms up and then threw them down. The earthen arms followed suit. Slade wasn't fast enough. Starfire hid her face in Robin's shoulder with a gasp. Beast Boy looked a bright green and Cyborg a pale ashy color. Robin however only narrowed his eyes.

"Folks, it appears the evil villain Slade is now dead. And our vigilante hero has retreated to whence he came. Tune in for more information later." Robin cut off the T.V. and walked out of the room, not sure if they had made the correct move in assassinating Slade. Over the next few days, the crime rate began to lower exponentially. The Titans were finally able to take more breaks and enjoy life as teenagers. Till one day, an unexpected change, but also a familiar change. Crime rate skyrocketed with the appearance of a new head villain. The Titans didn't know who to expect robbing the bank but it certainly wasn't J.C. They ran through the shattered double doors of the bank to see gore, shattered bones, lumps of flesh, and mashed brains decorating the entire lobby. J.C. was slowly walking out with five sacks the six feet tall floating behind him. He stopped and sighed when he saw them.

"I had a feeling it would come to this," he said in mock sadness.

"J.C.?" Beast Boy sounded like he'd been punched in the chest, "What… what are you doing?" J.C. gave his usual evil smile.

"Finally doing what I do best: causing mayhem, destruction, and death," he chuckled darkly. The Titans looked at the repulsive surroundings. J.C. spread his arms out wide.

"The real question my green friend, is what will you all do now? Except that I, and I alone am the most powerful being in the universe and back away or fight me and die right here and right now." The Titans had faced many enemies and always came out on top cheating death multiple times. But there was something in the way he said it. Like he knew what would happen and there was no arguing. He sounded so confident.

"We are going to stop you!" Robin yelled, pointing at him. Beast Boy flinched and turned to Robin, dread hitting his stomach like a five pound weight. He had to save them. Robin had just signed all their death sentences. This super being was unbeatable. _Time_ didn't even affect him for goodness sake! J.C.'s smile grew larger.

"If that is your choice, then so be it," He said softly. He raised a hand with his fingers pointed dead at Robin. Beast Boy did not think he only reacted. He knew instantly what J.C. was going to do. He was going to electrify Robin until he was cremated. And it would only take three seconds. Beast Boy shoved Robin just as J.C. fired his bolt of lightning. As soon as Robin was free he changed to an electric eel and absorbed the energy. Of course being a small electric eel getting hit by enough electricity to fry you in three seconds didn't mean you escaped unscathed. He was thrown through a marble pillar, changing back mid-flight. He landed on the gore covered marble floor and slid to a sticky halt in front of the doors.

"Beast Boy!" Robin cried his eyes wide in shock.

"_Whoops_," J.C. said in mock surprise, "Wrong nuisance." Beast Boy did not move as Robin scrambled to his feet. He whirled to face J.C., his glare matching the other titans' own glares.

"I am going to be gracious and offer you the chance to run once more. If you do not take it I will not offer again and you will all surely die," J.C. said insistently. Robin growled as he glared at the man he now hated just as much as he had Slade. The others would fight; all he had to do was say the word. He looked at his teammates and then glanced over his shoulder at BB.

"Stand down," he growled, hating the words that poured over his lips. The others looked at him in surprise.

"We can take him!" Cyborg exclaimed, "He's a pushover!"

"Cyborg… stand… down," Robin seethed. He turned around and walked over to pick up Beast Boy. He nodded to Raven who teleported them home. Once again the familiar feeling of if he had made the right decision haunted him. Yes he had. They didn't know what he was capable of; Beast Boy did. He could tell them and better arm them. He only hoped they could match up to his intense powers.


	2. the end and the beginning

CH. 2

Beast Boy awoke, slowly opening his eyes to see a blurred ceiling. He blinked once, twice, thrice, and then could see clearly again. He groaned as he tried to sit up but pain attacked him and threw him back to the bed where his entire body was tortured for a mere few seconds. Then he gasped for breath. What had hit him so bad that this happened? Raven walked through the door and glanced at him with barely any emotion. He thought he saw a flicker of pained worry flash in her eyes but it was gone so fast it couldn't have been real. She sat beside him and stared for a few seconds before speaking.

"Are you ok?" she asked. Beast Boy nodded lightly in case it brought on another seizure.

"Good. Robin says we need to know everything about J.C. as soon as you can walk again. Right now you still have an electrical current. Your nerve responses are stronger than normal so moving too much or to fast can either kill you or hurt you badly. Give it a few days to wear off," Raven said. Beast Boy nodded again and stared at the ceiling.

"Are you sure you're ok?" Raven asked, slight concern breaking through her defenses and merging with her words. Beast Boy groaned. His entire body was sore and tensed up.

"Not really," he muttered, "My body is tensed up and it's uncomfortable." Raven frowned. She lifted her arms and Beast Boy was encased in dark energy. His muscles relaxed and Beast Boy sighed with relief.

"Thanks Rae," he chirped happily.

"It's Raven," she muttered as she raised her hood to hide a blush. She walked to the window where she looked out over Jump City.

"Ever wonder how humans can build such magnificent structures?" she asked as she gazed at the skyscrapers.

"Yea. It's mind blowing huh?" Beast Boy replied. Raven smiled lightly. There was a tiny sliver of movement in the city. She closed her eyes and muttered her familiar words. She was suddenly looking over the city and there she saw J.C. standing in the middle of the street. Cars honked loudly and drivers yelled profane words and showed rude gestures. He was tensed up and growling. His growls got louder and louder. She then noticed that he was powering up. Fear clenched at her stomach as her heart flew to her throat. J.C.'s eyes rolled in the back of his head as he threw his head back and opened his mouth wide.

He became encased in a fireball and before Raven knew what was happening he was yelling; yelling so loud that you could not hear it. The sound in the world cut off as sound waves carried the fire encasing him. He began to brighten and Raven knew she had mere seconds. She opened her eyes and leapt for Beast Boy. Time seemed to slow down as she saw through her peripheral vision an atomic explosion. She landed on Beast Boy and the fireball of sound was already upon the Tower. She quickly yelled her three word mantra and her and Beast Boy vanished.

Raven awoke on the hard concrete of a dark alley. She had not controlled the transportation, so she had no idea where they were. She just knew they had to get away. She hoped to God that the others had survived. There had been no time for a warning or to grab the others. Tears welled in her eyes as she sobbed. Beast Boy gasped a shuddering breath next to her. He looked towards her slowly.

"Raven? What the hell happened?" he asked. Raven fell upon him sobbing. Beast Boy slowly brought his hand up and placed it on the back of her head and made gentle shushing sounds. When she finally stopped crying she told Beast Boy with many a sniffle and hiccup what she had seen. His eyes closed as he tried not to cry. So many people were now dead. Thousands, maybe millions or billions snuffed out in a mere second.

"He has a lot to answer for," Beast Boy said in a wavering voice.

"You have to tell me about him," Raven said, "So we can be better prepared next time." Beast Boy took a deep shuddering breath.

"It's a long story," he replied. Raven gestured around them.

"Not like we're going anywhere anytime soon," she replied. Beast Boy took another deep breath and began.

_**J.C.'s history**_

It begins somewhere at the beginning of the medieval times that a young boy named Jonathan Crass Thomas was born. He was not of any special blood like a duke or a knight or a king. No, he was a peasant boy. He was carefree and happy and dreamed of becoming a squire to his favorite knight Sir Herondaley De Linginston. He became a mason's apprentice to get close to the knights and learn their ways and to observe the other squires. By now he is somewhere around the age of fourteen. He is no longer carefree but a cunning and mischievous fox. He has no mercy or feels any kindness to any person or thing. His family is dead thanks to a raid from the kingdom's old enemy.

After seeing his mother, father, two older brothers, and pet dog slaughtered before his eyes, his heart died to be replaced by an ice sculpture of a heart. There is no longer a heart. One night, he was skulking through the huts, keeping to the darkness. He had a plan to become a squire. And it involved much foul play. He had woven pretty words to get the attention of a homosexual squire. He asked him to meet alone under the guard's walkway. They would be hidden from any prying eyes. He walked up to see the young boy who beamed.

Before the boy could get out his greeting, J.C. unsheathed a knife and pinned the boy to the brick wall and covered his mouth. Then he jabbed the blade into his stomach, twisting and ripping it. Finally, the boy stopped his muffled screams of agony and slumped to the ground, eyes blank. J.C. had never felt so alive. He buried the corpse under the wall. He dug all night, and he knew no one would find him. No one walked through this area. The next day, he was a squire to his once favorite knight. Over the years he grew older and soon reached the age that he could take his master's place as knight.

At nineteen, he defeated his master in mock battle to prove his worthiness. He was now a knight and he planned on changing the world forever. One day while he was out riding, he came across an old crone who begged him of food and water. Still having no compassion for anyone he scorned her and sneered. As he rode on past, she transformed into a beautiful enchantress.

"For the sin of being proud and scorning me, you shall live forever. That is your curse!" And with that she was gone. But to J.C., this was no curse but a blessing. It fueled his desire for power and control. Most other men would have despised living past 100, but J.C. saw it as an opportunity to rule the kingdom forever. He rode back into the kingdom to test what the enchantress had said. He drew his sword, threw down hi shield and ran at the first guard, yelling like a madman. Every mark that they put upon him healed instantly and everyone fell before his blade.

When the guards and knights saw the attempt futile they fled. Blood still dripping from his sword and armor, lust for death in his eyes, and his breath heavy with excitement, he climbed the castle steps to the king's throne room. They tried to hold the doors closed but he hacked through with a stolen battle ax. Arrows pierced his armor and flesh but he ripped them from his body and laughed long and loud. He was exhilarated. Nothing stopped him! Nothing! He leapt in, hacking at the armor and ripping it from the men who tried to stop him. He gutted one standing in his way and beheaded an archer. Finally, no one stood between him and the king.

His wife strung her bow and nocked an arrow. She fired at his face. The arrow struck him in the eye. J.C. screamed in agony and ripping it out, his eye coming with it. But his body grew another eye in its place. J.C. laughed high and maniacally. He ran forward and parried the king's sword and sank his blade into his gut. The king fell onto him, pain radiating from his face. J.C. nudged him with his shoulder and he fell off the blade and onto his throne dead. He approached the wife, a sneer on his lips as he jabbed the arrow she shot him with into her chest.

She crumpled to the floor dead. He threw his sword down and roared to the ceiling. He was alive! He was invincible! His tyranny reigned for centuries till the medieval days just died out. He found himself alone in the desert, his rusted, dull, and chipped sword dragging behind him. The sun was unbearable but he did not die. He collapsed with exhaustion and passed out. He awoke in a cave to see an old hermit cooking three rabbits over a fire.

"You're awake," the man said in his hoarse voice.

"Yes," J.C. replied in his ice cold voice. He was already plotting to kill this man and rob him.

"It's not a good idea to kill your host," the man rasped. He turned to J.C. with an amused smile on his bearded face. His skin was black and head shiny and bald.

"You read my thoughts old man?" he demanded in shock.

"Yes. Your talents are not the only ones in this world. There exists the supernatural and the superhuman. I know your past. You have lived a hard and evil filled life. I myself have had my evil filled days. I grew weary of the murder, backstabbing, and unrelenting life I have lived. I myself am immortal. I was cursed when I reached the age of forty. I raped and killed an enchantress and she cursed me before her death. But I have found a weak spot in her magic. Nothing can exist without a brain. I will give you a gift if you end my existence," the old man replied. J.C. stood up and dragged his sword with him. Its grinding filled the cave loudly. J.C. raised his blade, his evil smile in place.

"Your wish is my command," he whispered with his evil crazed smile. He brought the sword down and bashed the old man's head in. He hacked and hacked, blood spewing over him and the cave. Finally, the old man was nothing but a headless corpse. J.C. looked at his sword and threw it aside with a snort of disgust. He was about to chomp into a rabbit when a violet sphere no bigger than a baseball appeared on top of the old man's back. J.C. picked it up and it dissolved, flying into his nostrils. He sneezed violently three times and felt his head explode with images, thoughts, and memories.

When he finally controlled them he breathed. He realized the old man had more than the psychic ability. He could steal or duplicate other abilities and keep them for himself. His smile returned as he began plotting his takeover. This time, the sky was the limit. The world would be his. It took centuries to take abilities. Store them up so he could use them all at once to bring the world to its knees.

He took a British man's fire, an Australian girl's scream, a young boy's earth, a transsexual stripper's ice, and a school boy's speed. He took so many talents and killed every single person. He didn't copy them, he stole all their power. Once every drop was taken, they died. Then one day after a bad run in with a lion pride during his training, he was saved by two scientists who had a little green boy. He planned on taking his power but after his parents dieing in a boat accident, the child disappeared. Now after millennia of stealing and hoarding his abilities, he has finally taken over.

_**Present time**_

Beast Boy finished his story with a sigh. It had grown dark and Raven had to move them to a more secure location.

"How do you know all this?" she asked in astonishment.

"He and I once touched minds. I found out his entire history. Not very bright is it?" Beast boy asked gravelly. Raven didn't reply. Now her friends were dead and possibly the whole world. But what good is a world where there's no one to rule? No, he left people alive so they could forever worship him. She was sure of it. Maybe the others survived to. For days, she left at night to get herself and Beast Boy some food. Occasionally, Beast Boy had to eat meat since most of the vegetation of the whole city including in the stores was nothing but ash. During the daytime, Raven would shoot through the shadows, searching for survivors.

But she found not a single trace. The damage to Jump City was nearly unfathomable. Buildings gone or cut in half by the explosion, cars with their tires melted to the road, burnt skeletons in cars, melted glass on the roads and sidewalks. It was a horrible sight and it enraged Raven. If she ever caught J.C., she'd obliterate him. All it would take was a hit to the head hard enough to crack it open and dissolve the brain to mush. As she was flitting down the street through shadows she came upon a body. She stopped and appeared before it. She nudged it lightly and the girl sprang to her feet faster than Raven could fallow and had a dagger to her throat.


End file.
